Anyone with previous freestyle experience knows it is not quite as effortless as the X-Games or the Olympics make it look. Thankfully, companies like UCPA now provide instruction very different to the standard ski school style that many have previous experience of. You generally spend more time with your instructor/guide in smaller groups making it less formal and more fun to allow you to challenge yourself and learn the skills and knowledge to become safer at the snowpark.

Freestyle skiing and snowboarding carries a number of real dangers, therefore even the more experienced freestyle skiers or snowboarders will benefit hugely riding and exploring the snowparks with a qualified instructor.

Freestyle skis: Freestyle skis are usually twin-tipped to allow for switch skiing. Switch skiing is when you ski backwards. The skis are also much narrower than all mountain skis for speed and maneuverability. 

Freestyle snowboards: Freestyle snowboards are also twin-tipped, much lighter and shorter than most snowboards. They are great for riding on most terrain as well as the snowpark, however they are no good on hard packed snow as they are not so stable.

The Grab: Ride in, pop hard, then towards the end of your take off pull your legs up and grab the ski slightly underneath it. 

The 180: As you take off the jump, spin to the right or left and you will land backwards. If you can ride switch you can try this the opposite way and start off backwards and land forwards. It’s the same in snowboarding but riding the opposite way to what you normally would do. 

Backflip: To perform the backflip, push your upper body backwards, and have your hips thrust forward causing you to spin. Complete an entire spin before you mark your landing and land firmly on the ground.

The Kagaroo flip: invented by freestyle skier Jon Olsson is one of the most popular double flip tricks in the world. It is a double flatspin 360 to flatspin 540 all in one trick. 

The Double McTwist 1260: invented by freestyle snowboarder Shaun White, it is one of the most famous tricks in the book involving two forward-flipping backside 540s.